Q&A Blog

There are many ways to support debut authors, such as writing online book reviews. More reviews = more visibility. But authors can feel awkward asking you to do that. So, inspired by Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s popular blog post, I will ask for them. Have you read these #firstpicturebooks? If so, what are your thoughts? C’mon—add some stars to a book’s life! (And I’ve made it SUPER easy for you by including direct book links to GoodReads, Amazon, and B&N!)

Robert Broder is the Publisher and Creative Director at Ripple Grove Press where he has worked on several picture book debuts. But recently Rob published his own #firstpicturebook. “Impressively original and immensely entertaining“ (Midwest Book Review), PAUL AND HIS UKULELE is “a quiet story of a life made happy by following a passion for music” (Booklist)

Q. Was PAUL AND HIS UKULELE the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it? A. PAUL AND HIS UKULELE was not my first picture book. It was probably a rhyming story about a weed growing next to a flower. But that was a long time ago.

Q. What are the pros and cons of being the publisher and author of PAUL AND HIS UKULELE? A. The pros were being able to take a story we liked and making it a book. The cons would be, well, during the making of the book, I didn't tell Jenn Kocsmiesky, the illustrator that I wrote the book. I didn't want that in the back of her mind because I was also the creative director on the project.

Q. What inspired PAUL AND HIS UKULELE? A. I guess you can say my own life. I traveled quite a bit, then met Amanda, started playing ukulele, started Ripple Grove Press. So when you read the book, there are similarities.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book? A. The title for the book was original "Paul" because I like simple titles. But our distributor suggested when searching (on the internet or in data bases) for just the title "Paul" a whole lot would come up. But when searching for "Paul and His Ukulele" it narrows the search. But I like this more. Because the book really is about Paul and his love for his ukulele.

Q. Do you write by hand or on the computer? A. I start by hand, then type it up. Then print it out, then edit it. Then fix those edits on the computer, then print it out again. and keep doing this process. I like editing on paper.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft? A. There's a spread where Paul is playing his ukulele on his front porch, while the other kids play freeze tag. When I see that spread I think, that's me. I was the kid that was indoors playing with Legos or my Matchbox cars instead of outside playing sports or physical activities.

Q. How did you select the names for your characters? A. I was looking for a very simple name for the main character. And I have a friend named Paul, and it just stuck. Four-Finger Frank came to me because Frank is such a mechanic’s name. And then since a ukulele has four strings, it fit. I thought it was funny that something must have happened to his finger a long time ago being a mechanic. And Clementine came to me because I wanted a longer name than Paul. And was also fitting because the name is in a song, which is what he's searching for in the book.

Q. What made you decide to tell the story in third person? A. Maybe because it’s similar to my own life, I wanted to remove myself from it.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing PAUL AND HIS UKULELE? A. I would say half. And as I kept writing, more and more comes from it.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover? A. When I wrote Paul, in my mind he was always a boy. But when I saw Jenn's portfolio, she had these wonderful foxes. It just fit. So when I first saw the sketches, it just shined. And Jenn and I discussed together what the cover and back cover should be.

Q. When you read PAUL AND HIS UKULELE to kids, which part of the book gets the best reaction? A. I would say when Paul meets Four-Finger Frank. I usually do a lower voice for Frank too. Since he's illustrated as a Pig, and he's a mechanic, I imagine him having a very rough, low sounding voice.

Q. Did you create any book swag for PAUL AND HIS UKULELE? If so, what kind? A. My wife surprised me with pins with images from the book. So sweet. I can't wait to give them out at my story times.

Q. What is your #1 tip for picture-book writers? A. READ PICTURE BOOKS!!! Sorry for the all caps. I hear all the time "I want to write picture books" or "it looks so easy" but they don't read picture books. It will help guide your style and imagination.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise or marketing tip that you can share? A. My favorite writing exercise is going for walks and making myself think on the story. What is working, what isn't, what will make your story slightly different. The mindful walk helps shape the story.

Q. What are you working on now?A. I am working on a couple more picture books. Trying to think outside the box. Building on sweet characters in unique situations.

Q. Is there a public launch for the book (reading/part at bookstore, library, etc.)?A.Saturday, Nov 3 at Phoenix Books in Rutland Vermont at 11am with Jenn KocsmieskySaturday, Nov 17 at Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs NY at 11am with Jenn KocsmieskyHere's the event calendar link: http://www.ripplegrovepress.com/new-events/?view=calendar&month=September-2018

Q. Where can people find you? (Website, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)A.RobertBroder.com@RobbieBroderRippleGrovePress.com/Paul Book trailer